News

Victory for Christian sacked over gay weddings

Margaret Jones, a registrar who refused to marry same-sex couples, says she was sacked for her beliefs not for her actions

A MARRIAGE registrar has been vindicated by a council’s reversal of its
decision to sack her for refusing to marry same-sex couples because of her
Christian beliefs.

Margaret Jones, 54, who had been dismissed for “bringing the council into
disrepute”, was offered her job back after an appeal hearing ruled that her
employer had failed to take a “balanced view” of her religious beliefs.

While the decision does not create a legal precedent, it is likely to give
people greater rights to express religious beliefs in the workplace because
it was based on official guidance from the Equality and Human Rights
Commission (EHRC).

Paul Diamond, barrister to the Christian Legal Centre, which advised Jones
early in her battle, said: “All good employers should follow this precedent,
and practising Christians should no longer fear expressing their beliefs.”

If Jones’s sacking had been upheld, it could have given employers power to
judge